The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-15
v.TKoFF, THE EDITOR, DYING.
,,;. Wonderful Influence Over the Gar
IA m Matters of State.

ga N Matters of State.
ne Katl,off. the editor of the Moscow
ca-ottg who is supposed to be dying, the
V Vo York World says: There are two Cars
:, the Russian Empire, the one Alexander
III Of the house of Romanoff, and the
i.ho. Michael Nikiforovitch Katkoff, editor
" the Moscow Gazette. The first is ruler
W nane. the second is ruler in fact. A re-
i'torl.aLle parsonage is this veteran journal
!. t Who stands at the head of the most re-
nrtionarv and retrograde organ of opinion
., The world Like all men of earnest con-
N liotion he is thoroughly aggressive i'll his
,,'ethods and possesses the power to mould
10 will of others in accordance with his
own s,,
.,yov of his sophistly was the present En-
,,or0r while heir apparent and the influence
lpnrnrcd nc that early period never dimin-
Shed Katkoff laughed at Imperial Minis
tn,s and press cenSors when his bold Ian
',iaop aroused their ire. One might almost
soy that he laughed at the Car himself, SC
Conscious was he of ultimate triumph The
sorrot of his power lay in the fact that he
had thoroughly won the Gar over to his
ROY of thinking as to the ends to be attained
Sorious imperial disfavor could therefore
revpr result from the means he employed.
Tins Katkoff knew the Gar hated Germa-
nv and so he lost no occasion to pitch into
That country, even to the extent of endan-
cerinp Russia's relations with her.
BORN AMID WEALTH AND LUXURY.
Michael Nikiforovitch Katkoff was born
in the ancient city of Moscow in 1920 of
noble and wealthy parents, and was brought
NO in the luxury peculiar to rich Russian
households At the age of Is, after having
passed with honors at the Moscow Univer-
siry. he was sent abroad to complete his
studies and went through several courses of
the universities of Koenigsberg and Berlin.
In the last-named city he was pupil of the
celebrated philosopher Schelling, and upon
returning to Moscow was appointed Profess
sor of Philosophy at the university. The
Young man at this period was thoroughly
imbued with the progressive ideas current
throughout Germany and they found ex-
preston in his teachings When it is said
that this occurred during the reign of the
Car Nicholas, when one liberal thought al
most sufliced to send a man over the Ural
Mountains, the boltlness of the youthful
professor will be thoroughly appreciated.
Still. it would be exaggeration to say that
EatkOff's tendencies were revolutionary in
the ordinary sense of the word. In common
with many of his colleagues at the univer-
stv he advocated a gradual and peaceful
change in the system of government, a
change to be initiated from on high, not
from below, and eliminating in form of
constitutiopalism similar to that enjoyed by
the British people,
WHY KATKoFF TOOK UP JOURNALISM.
The realization of such ideas under po-
tentate like Nicholas could only be a Chi
mera at its best When the Car learned of
these encroachmentS of Western civilization
II lnS ord, al
overhauling of the corps of professors and a
return to the old narrow-minded system of
schooling. Katkoff lost his place and after
a few years of enforced idleness adopted
journalism as his profession. In 1856 he
founded the Russhi VieStnjE russian Mes
sengeT) and in as guarded manner as pos
sble gave expression to his pet theories. On
the other hand, he declared open war on the
Russian Social-Revolutionary party, whose
leaders, Michael Bakunin and Alexander
Herzen, were intriguing against the Russian
Government in Geneva and London. This
anti-Socalistic campaign earned for Kat
koff the EmperoTs approval and secured for
him the much needed immunity as regards
his liberal propaganda.
In 1861, Katkoff took charge of the now
wOrld-renOwed MoSkoUShi ViedOmOstt Mos
COW Gazette), which he has stuck to ever
since, and here an entirely new phase in his
life commences. With the growth of gov
eminent patronage it began to be noticed
that the EDITORS advocacy of liberalism was
becoming lukewarm. His aspirations seemed
to be turning in an entirely different direc-
ton. From a friend of "Westernism" be
was growing to be it's worst enemy, and was
now championing "Pan-Slavism" or the
unification of all the Slav elements Of Eu-
rope into one great empire.
HIS PART IN THE POLISH REVOLT.
The Polish and Lithuanian troubles of
1864 fed fuel to the flame. Katkotf de-
manded an energetic suppression of the re-
volt and caused the government to SEND
Gen. Muraireff to Wilma with large force.
The late Car had already begun to feel the
mans great influence over the Russian peo-
pie, or rather the ignorant and barbarous
portion of them, and dared not oppose HIM:
Poland was crushed down with an iron heel
and katkoR wrote long editorials expressive
of glee that ''order should again reign in
Warsaw" ---...
At the close Of the Polish insurrection
Katkof turned his attention to the public
school system. He was now confirmed
reactionary and, with the zeal OF all rene
gades, sought to undo the work he had him
self helped to commence. The seed OF hbe-
rallsm he had sown so many years before,
which, after the Gar Nicholas death, had
taken root under his more tolerant SOIL was
now to be thoroughly eradicated, the So
called Observation-Disclosures system of school
ing to be supplanted by the strictly classical
and military pedagogism.
HIS INFLUENCE FELT IN THE SCHOOLS.
In his fight against the liberal system OF
education Katkoff was ably seconded by
Prof. Leonteff, of the Moscow University.
Their efforts were unavailing at the start,
the Minister of Public Instruction, Golov-
MN, being man of broad-minded views
and opposed to any return to the old order
OF things. Disappointed, the twain started
private school of their own in Moscow,
winch still exists under the name OF the Nj
coia AleXandrevitch lnstitut. Here they
carried out their system so thoroughly That
IN 1866 the new Minister of Public lnstruc-
tlon, Count Tolstoi, decided to model all
educational establishments in accordance
with their theories, and to this day Katkoff
spirit rules the youth of Russia
treat as was katkofP S influence in Russia
under the late Gar, has it increased tenfold
since the accession of Alexander Ill, who,
as already stated, was an early convert to
the EDITORS views. Not long after Alexail-
DER IL s death his successor decided to call
together the heads of the provincial assem-
DleS of Russia and confer with them as to
.he future policy of the government. Kat
hoL at once stepped in with his mighty pen.
a Gar of Russia submit TO the decisions OF
any body of representatives! Never! What
would become of the imperial dignity The
oNcE was not proof against the editors ar
Ntn ,aaf. IL. a